Bumblee Magnets

Bzzzzz, this is a two part post. First of all, there are bees all over the garden! This is good news to me (and to all the rest of you too). Tonight I could have counted over 100 bees in just a few minutes by visiting some of the Sedum blooms.

Now here's a question. I'm quite familiar with the big fat bumble bee, is the smaller (less fuzzy) bee here a honey bee?

Another plant that has been a total bee magnet is Agastache (anise hyssop). There's actually two varieties in my front border. This one is 'Black Adder'. It has a darker bloom and the most delicious peppermint scented foliage you could imagine.

What's most interesting is how very long these Agastache bloom. I took this photo on July 11th.


This photo was taken on July 30th. This is a clump of Agastache 'Blue Fortune' which has been more floriforous in my garden but the foliage isn't as scented as the 'Black Adder'.


Here's another view point, looking up the garden bed. I planted these hyssops last year, for some reason I don't think they are long lived. I have been reading that they self seed and I do hope that it the case. If not, I will be buying them again and again because I really do love them.

Here's 'Blue Fortune again'. What's the difference? I took this photo today, September 3rd. Now that's what I call "bloomability'. Best of all, not one single stalk on either of these plants has flopped.

Still weeding like a lunatic out there, starting to finally see some results. I will be open for business on Saturday so tomorrow I will really be going insane. Hope my hands hold out! They are pinched, sore, cracked, dirty and now I've got mosquito bites to take my mind off my wasp sting. Don't-cha just love this gardening? I do!!!

The picket fence

Would it surprise you if I told you I don't know that much about annuals? Well, the truth is I probably know more than any non gardener but I don't know nearly as much about them as I do about perennials.

This photo was taken on Sunday, it's a sidewalk in Cold Spring Harbor, New York. Anybody who has read my old posts would know that I loathe white vinyl stockade fence but give me a white picket fence and I'm in heaven.

The good news is these are fairly simple annuals for me to identify. There's impatiens, vinca and on the far right is the lovely Persian shield (with the horrendous botanical name of Strobilanthes dyerianus).

Oh no, I'm having a total senior moment. I know the name of this annual, I knew it when I took the picture, I knew it when I put it in my computer and now of course I can't for the life of me remember it. Any clues???

Here's a view taken closer to ground level. Isn't it a lovely color combination?

Finally, a close up of the Strobilanthes. I've never grown Persian shield in any of my planters but I'm totally sold on it now and will have to remember to get some next year.

For the past three days I've been a weeding fiend, filling huge barrel loads of weeds and hauling them off to the woods. This morning I was stung by a wasp, it was the first sting of the season (I never wear perfume specifically for this reason). Phooey, it itches like crazy right now.

Off to work on my website, if you haven't seen it yet it's at www.melaniesperennials.com
Melanie

Do you do Annuals?

This morning was nice and cloudy so I grabbed my camera and headed out in hopes of shooting hundreds of photos. As it turns out the day quickly cleared up and become a spectacular late summer day. Wonderful for all the people spending time outdoors but too sunny to continue my photo tour.

Still, I managed to get a few good shots in that first hour.

We are lucky to be surrounded with charming villages. This time of year the annual plantings are really hitting their stride.

How do you like this photo of the pink petunias, blue scaevola and the amazing yellow tropical Hibiscus?


Here you can see the full planting in front of the Cold Spring Harbor Fire House Museum. Ever since I was a little girl my mom would bring me to Cold Spring Harbor during the holidays. It's as charming as any town can get.

Here's the simple planting of petunias and scaevola. How simple and yet how delightful they look spilling out of the stone walled bed.



Up close you can see how neat and clean the Scaevola is. The Petunias had dead blooms that needed to be pinched off but the Scaevola was just perfect.

Across the street I found the same pink petunias planted in a whiskey barrel full of ribbon grass. Another simple yet affective combination. I also found another beautiful planting across the street but that is going to be my next post.

If you know of a spot with great annuals on Long Island, let me know as I need to take more photos.

Melanie